# Commanders still puzzle national media > After a narrow Eagles loss, Washington’s power ranking barely moved, but the opinions behind it are all over the map. - Title: Commanders still puzzle national media | Shortify - Summary: After a narrow Eagles loss, Washington’s power ranking barely moved, but the opinions behind it are all over the map. Washington earned some respect by… - Keywords: commanders, nfl, power rankings, jayden daniels, nfc east, sports, still, puzzle, national, media, Washington Commanders On SI - Source: Washington Commanders On SI — https://si.com/nfl/commanders/onsi/commanders-week-2-power-rankings-index-jayden-daniels - Published: 2026-09-15T19:01:14+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: commanders, nfl, power rankings, jayden daniels, nfc east, sports ## Week 2 brings noise Washington enters Week 2 with national outlets still trying to decide what it is. One close loss did not settle much. > Since it's Week 2, everybody has an opinion. ## Only one spot down The Commanders averaged No. 24 before Week 1. After losing 24-22 at Philadelphia, their average slipped only to No. 25. ## The path was messy That tiny drop hides a split verdict. NFL.com moved Washington up six spots, while Sports Illustrated dropped it six. > How they got there is a lot more interesting. ## No shared read yet Washington left Philadelphia 0-1, but the national view stayed scattered. The same game produced praise, worry, and shrugging. ## Polls as perspective The rankings are framed less as proof and more as a way to see outside opinions. They also show how unsure the media still is. > One way to look at them is as a way to broaden your perspective ## ESPN lands at 23 ESPN dropped Washington from No. 20 to No. 23 and focused on Sonny Styles. His debut had splash plays, mistakes, and added duties. > The No. 7 pick wasn't perfect, but it was a good debut. ## CBS sees a mess CBS left Washington at No. 26. Its concern was simple: Jayden Daniels is back, but the offensive line did not look right. > Jayden Daniels is back, but the offensive line is a mess. ## NFL.com softens NFL.com jumped Washington from No. 31 to No. 25 after the loss. The Commanders pushed the Eagles deeper than expected. > Washington showed much more fight than I anticipated. ## Fight changed minds Dan Quinn’s team nearly forced overtime against the defending NFC East champs. That mattered even with an uneven passing game. ## Fox stays unsure FOX kept Washington at No. 26. The near upset impressed, but Jayden Daniels did not look like the explosive version of himself. > Jayden Daniels didn’t look like his old, dynamic self ## SI drops them hard Sports Illustrated moved Washington from No. 18 to No. 24. It credited the close finish, but hammered the offense and Daniels’ form. > Jayden Daniels looked pedestrian ## Yahoo spots labor Yahoo held Washington at No. 22 but saw an offense working too hard. Protection lagged, receivers struggled, and Daniels held the ball. > Everything was labored with Jayden Daniels and the Commanders' offense. ## The slowest release Daniels averaged 3.41 seconds per throw, the slowest among quarterbacks through Sunday’s games. That number fed the worry. > He averaged 3.41 seconds per throw ## Daniels backs Blough The failed two-point shovel pass drew criticism, but Daniels defended new coordinator David Blough after the game. > I'm with Blough 100%. ## PFT keeps it blunt Pro Football Talk dropped Washington to No. 28. Its read was short: the Commanders at least avoided getting buried. > At least they didn’t get blown out. ## The Athletic sees hope The Athletic moved Washington to No. 25. Two late touchdown drives helped, but 4.4 yards per play showed the new offense has work to do. > Touchdowns on Washington’s final two drives offered some hope ## Health still mattered The same Athletic blurb noted the biggest relief: Daniels finished healthy. For Week 1, that counted for something. > at least Jayden Daniels stayed healthy. ## Fair, not settled The final spread runs from Yahoo at No. 22 to PFT at No. 28. A one-spot average drop feels fair after one game. > there still isn't much agreement ## Dallas is the test Washington showed enough to avoid being buried, not enough to erase preseason questions. Week 2 at Dallas can sharpen the picture. > Week 2 against Dallas gives them another chance ## Key takeaway Washington earned some respect by pushing Philadelphia, but doubts about Jayden Daniels, the line, and the new offense remain.